Elf
''' Elves '''are tall, fair humanoids who originated in the southern woodlands of Elssyia. Graceful and aloof, elves are one of the most elegant and yet one of most strange peoples of Galapygos. Their affinity for natural things, long life span, and great dexterity are their most well-known qualities. Physical Description Elves are tall (almost invariably taller than 5'10"), and possess a variety of skin tones comparable to humans: elves from the southern parts of Elssyia have fair skin, whilst those from the northern regions on the edge of the Badlands possess darker skin. Their hair is naturally blonde or red, but most elves have completely white hair by their 200th birthday. Elves have a number of unique qualities, which they claim stem from their Fey ancestry. Firstly, they possess an unusually long life span. The oldest recorded elf lived to be 946, and most can expect an average lifespan of 700 or so years, barring accidents or battle. This long lifespan gives elves a unique outlook on life compared to humans, since their plans can often unfold over decades. For this reason elves can be seen as cold or distant by other races, but in reality they simply can't comprehend why some folk would bother with certain activities when there are centuries of time left to do things. Elves have nimble, dextrous fingers that make them natural pickpockets and bowmen. Elf archers are widely regarded as among the best in the entire world, and they freqeuntly make strong appearances at the archery competitions held annually at the Reachlander Games (often taking the King's Cup in archery), as well as their own archery tournament, the Jack & The Knave. Elves can see in low light better than most races, even goblins. They also require much less sleep than other races, generally needing only about 15 minutes of rest for every hour a human must rest. Culture & Customs Most of elven culture revolves around nature. They live among nature, raise their families around nature, and (at least, every elf hopes) die amongst nature. Their cities are built in the depths of the Elssyian forests, rising up amongst the trees. Elves are considered among the finest artists in the world. Their paintings sell for tens of thousands of gold at auctions around the globe and trade of art objects provides the lion's share of their capitol Oakhollow's revenue. The one segment of elven art that other races can't seem to grasp is sculpture- their strange Fey forms confuse other creatures and they rarely sell outside of Elssyia. Elves have a close relationship with the seasons. Being that their homes are surrounded by trees, their disposition and appearance often changes with the coming and going of the leaves. It is tradition for elven warriors to shave their head during the autumn season when the last leaf falls from their home tree. The summer, contrarily, is celebrated with their greatest holiday, the Festival of the Sun. Relations Elves have simply never gotten on well with dwarves. Their conflicting philosophies on almost everything from conservation to battle have lead to innumerable conflicts over the centuries. Though things have smoothed in the modern era, it is still considered rare enough to be a novelty when a dwarf refers to an elf as his friend. Humans are fascinated with elves. Enraptured by their beauty, humans occasionally settle down with elf spouses. These unions produce half-elf children. Category:Races